Featured Archaeological sites

Kilgii Gwaay

The Kilgii Gwaay site is located on Ellen Island in southern Haida Gwaii, off the west coast of British Columbia. At the time of its
occupation, about 9,500 years ago, Kilgii Gwaay was situated on the ocean shore. Rising seas flooded the site within about 100 years,
creating a waterlogged environment that sealed and preserved the archaeological remains.

Kilgii Gwaay is situated today in the intertidal zone, and this unique setting
presented challenging working conditions for the archaeologists who excavated the site. Work could only take place at low tide,
and the excavation units had to be pumped full of water at the end of each day in an effort to lessen the damage caused by the incoming tide.

The excellent preservation conditions at this waterlogged site resulted in the survival of a great deal
of organic material. These materials included wooden artifacts such as a carved
wedge used for splitting planks, and a small piece of 3-strand braided cordage made from spruce root.

Large numbers of animal bones were also preserved at Kilgii Gwaay. These included the bones of more than dozen species of birds
including loon, albatross, duck and snow goose, numerous fish species including salmon, herring and rockfish and several species of mammals
such as bear, otter and sea lion.